Identification device



H. F. WAITE.

IDENTIF ICATlON DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1920.

1,438,508, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

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4 ma-4i it ATTORNEY FEW") HARRY r. warren, or NEW-YORK, n. Y.

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE.

- Application filed November 2Q, 1920. Serial No. 425,296;

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY F. \VAITE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of llew York, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Identification Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore it has been common to finger print people for the purpose of identification. Criminals, to avoid such identification have rubbed the skin of the fingers until the characteristic lines are obliterated so that identification will be difficult or impossible.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will make such evasion impossible. This object is accomplished by putting litharge and oil or other suitable material on the part or parts to be recorded, as the finger of a person, and then this finger is placed in the apparatus and over a sensitive plate which is in an opaque plate holder which is opaque to light but not to X-ray. X-rays are then passed through this finger of the person whose record is being taken and a radiograph is made which shows not only the finger print, but also the bone of the finger and the nail so that if at a future time it should be necessary to identify the finger may be again treated in the same manner and a second record made which may be compared with the first and identified even though the usual lines be obliterated as above described.

This and other objects are accomplished by my invention, one embodiment of which is hereinafter set forth.

For a more detailed description of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved recording apparatus,

Figure 2 is a sectional view, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of plate in an open holder.

Throughout the various views of the drawings, similar reference characters designate similar parts.

My improved identification device is provided with identifying means 1 which is composed of a casing or box 2 which is preferably provided with a lead or other lining 3 and a chamber 4 large enough to receive one or two fingers. This chamber is located in any suitable place as at the bottom of the 1 box 2 and its top is perforated at? immediof a step uptransformer 10 and the other pole "of the secondary 9 of this transformer has a wire 11 which runs to the hot cathode l of the tube 6. This hot cathode 12 also has a wire 13 which is connected to a resistance 14 which in turn is connected by a wire 15 tothe primary 16 of the transformer 10. One terminal of this primary 16 is connected to a wire 1'? which runs to the exterior of the box 2 and the other end of this primary 16 is connected to a wire 18 that is connected to the hot cathode wire 11 and-also to a wire 19 which runs to a time switch 20 which is connected to asecond lead in wire 21 which runs to the exterior of the box 2 so that power is supplied through the wires 17 and 21 in conventional manner. The time switch 20 may be any suitable: time switch such as is shown in my Patent i i-1,235,261 dated July 81st, 1917, and it is preferably controlled by means of a rod 22 with a handle 23 at its top. The parts are preferably so arranged and disposed that the time switch will operate by pressing the handle 23 and will continue its o eration until the cycle is completed when the main circuit will be open and no further action of-the apparatus is possible until the handle 23 is again pressed.

The plate 24 is preferably placed in a suitable envelope on the bottom of the chamber 4 and the finger 26 of the person to be identified is placed on the plate holder 25 after the lower surface of the finger is smeared with a mixture of litharge and oil. When the finger 26 is inthis position the handle 23 is pressed and then electricity is furnishedfor the required period to the transformer 10 which'acts so as to generate X-rays inv the tube 6 so that a radiograph is made on the plate 24 which shows the nail, bone and lower surface of the finger all superimposed, so that the identification is complete and perfect.

In view. of the foregoing it is apparent that the apparatus is a self-contained unit which is simple, compact and suitable for one use only, to wit, the recording of finger prints, bones and nails.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious former,

that it is not restricted thereto but that it is broad enough'to cover all structures that come within the scope oi? the annexed claim.

What I claim is: l

A self-contained recording apparatus com posed of a box having a chamber with an X-ray tube mounted above the same, a transa time switch and suitable conductors connecting the time switch, the transformer and the X-ray tube with a source vof power so that the tube will be active for a limited time as determined by the switch, an ll-ray plate in said chamber and below said tube, the parts being so arranged and disposed that when. the apparatus is in use a 15 radiograph may be taken of a finger placed in the chamber between the X-ray tube and the plate on which the radiograph is taken.

In testimony whereof,l have set my hand this 12th day of November. 1920.

HARRY F. WAIlE. 

